Crane is letting Dusty manage the team the way he wants to manage it. If the Astros win the World Series, Crane will likely offer Dusty another year.
I would be pretty surprised if they bring him back with how God awful his defense has been this season. He cost the team nearly two wins this season simply through his shitty framing alone. Would be pretty easy to find a catcher who can actually field the position competently (even if he can't hit) to pair with Diaz next season.
No team would be foolish enough to get rid of a manager or coach after he leads them to 2 straight titles. Sincerely, Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys
I think it's much more likely Dusty returns next year than Maldy. I feel like Dusty does not want to retire and if he believed his job was in jeopardy there would be some smoke already.
you shouldn't be. fans are overly critical of him but the entire organization loves him from top to bottom. that's what matters. they don't give af about all the talk about his weakness. future HOF's vouch for him and they're not just going to find some random catcher to have to invest in whose never been part of this core. this postseason run just further adds to all their love for him
They might "love him" in the sense that they like his work ethic and leadership, but at the end of the day are they really going to fork over a few million for less than replacement level production when they could do much better elsewhere for the same price? While Maldy isn't entirely at fault, I don't think it's a coincidence that the pitching staff has regressed so much this season at the same time that Maldy's framing has gone from so-so to utter dogshit. It has to be frustrating at some level to work with someone so incompetent.
I don't anticipate them having an issue with it. It's not going to take a break the bank deal for maldy to return. and him being the personal catcher for every single top pitcher on this staff is too important to just not to take into account The pitching staff regressing was always going to happen. They set unrealistic standards last season and folks thought it was just going to duplicate. that was never going to be the case especially when they didn't bring JV back initially. The 6 man rotation makes a huge difference
It's not about the money, it's about the opportunity cost in signing him and having Dusty let him catch 800+ innings again. If you do that then you're sacrificing at least a few wins over signing an alternative and I suspect that Brown does not believe in his heart of hearts that Maldy's "transcendent" value outweighs what he gives up through his incompetence at the plate and behind it.
oh well. clearly they don't give af. like i said the view fans get overly emotional about aren't even close to what they view Maldy as in that clubhouse There's also a world where he returns and his playing time gradually becomes less and it becomes more of a 50/50 or 60/40 split.
Dusty Baker has much much less authority over the lineups and decisions in the post season. If the Astros were unhappy with Maldy then he would not be playing everyday. Fact. I want Diaz to start 80% of the games at catcher and feel he is much better than Maldy even now, but it sure doesn't feel like the organization agrees with me. At this point, I think just like Dusty, returning or not in 2024 is up to Maldy. Open invitation. And to be truthful, I am fine with that as long as he is the unquestioned backup and/or Framber's personal catcher with Diaz getting all other starts
Diaz isn't going to be JV's catcher. especially not at this stage of his career outside of JV/Framber everyone else as a starter should be open to the idea of Diaz catching
I don't know what either Baker or Maldy would do if we win another WS. I think Maldy would retire but I'm not sure Baker would. If Maldy retires after this season I would not be opposed to bringing him on as part of the staff. I don't know in what capacity but he's smart and may have a future as a pitching coach. Has a catcher ever become a pitching coach?
